Tristan Anderson Comes Home 15 Months After Being Shot at Israeli Wall

by Karen Pickett
Monday Jun 7th, 2010 11:11 AM

After more than a year in a Tel Aviv hospital, Bay Area activist and photo-journalist Tristan Anderson has returned home to California. Tristan was critically injured when he was shot in the head at close range with a metal high-velocity tear gas canister at the Israeli Separation Wall on March 13, 2009, while taking photos following a demonstration against the apartheid wall in the West Bank village of Ni'lin. Current photo of Tristan available for publication, access on website.

Tristan Anderson Returns Home to the U.S. Fifteen Months After Shooting at the Separation Wall

After more than a year in a Tel Aviv hospital, Bay Area activist and photo-journalist Tristan Anderson has returned home to California. Tristan was critically injured when he was shot in the head at close range with a metal high-velocity tear gas canister at the Israeli Separation Wall on March 13, 2009, while taking photos following a demonstration against the apartheid wall in the West Bank village of Ni'lin. The shooting caused severe traumatic brain injury and blindness in his right eye. Tristan, 39 years old, has not yet regained the use of the left side of his body and faces a long period of cognitive and physical rehabilitation and remains in a wheelchair. However, in the last several months he has made significant strides forward, including regaining his ability to speak. His partner Gabby recently posted a detailed update on his condition on http://justicefortristan.org/ under health updates. He is currently staying at his family’s home in the Sierra foothills, and looking forward to reuniting with his extensive community in the Bay Area.

Tristan’s partner Gabrielle Silverman said, “After a very long period of hospitalization, Tristan is ready to finally re-enter the world. His injury has profoundly affected our community and changed our lives. In the winter of 2009, Tristan and I traveled to the Occupied Territories because we had an understanding of the role the U.S. government plays in the Israel/Palestine conflict and power dynamics there. We both support a free Palestine and a just peace and stability in the Middle East and see it as a defining struggle of our generation.

PHOTO OF TRISTAN AVAILABLE: A photo taken within the last several weeks at the Tel Hashomer Hospital can be viewed at http://justicefortristan.org/ . It is the first photo released since Tristan was injured in March 2009. For information regarding a high resolution copy for publication, please contact us (above).

Just prior to the one-year mark of the shooting, Israel released its official report of the incident, calling it “an act of war”, with no concomitant liability, bringing no charges, and then closed the case. An appeal to reopen the investigation has been filed, since the report was inconsistent with the injuries Tristan sustained and with eyewitness testimony. In addition, his parents have brought a civil case against the Israeli military, in part to deal with the lifetime of medical expenses, lost wages and continuing care that Tristan will need as a result of the military action.

On May 31, 21-year-old New York art student Emily Henochowicz lost an eye in a similar act of aggression by Israeli military when she was shot in the face with a tear gas canister at a demonstration in the West Bank. She was protesting the Israeli commando raid on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla during which nine Flotilla human rights activists were killed.

Tristan Anderson has participated as a photo-journalist and as a dedicated activist in a variety of local and international campaigns over the years, including Latin American solidarity work, anti-war activism, involvement in forest campaigns including Headwaters Forest and the 2-year long Save the Oaks tree-sit campaign on UC Berkeley campus, as well as serving food to the homeless with Food Not Bombs for years, and riding with Critical Mass bicycle activists.

Can't wait until the Israeli nation defaults and the people turn against their government. It's both governments of the united states and Israel responsible for all the violence and blow back. How long is this going to continue? The people need to stop being pacifists and start linking organizations together for some militant fucking action for once. We need to stop being a bunch of pussies and live up to our words. The American government is responsible for Iraq, Afghanistan and now Pakistan with drones but the people of America are not responsible. We can't do anything to scare our governments into submission so long as mainstream activists continue to hold a position of pacifism. Fuck Obama and fuck all politicians around the world! THEY'RE ALL THE SAME!

Look back in history and you'll see a million Obamas with plenty charisma and full of promises and what happened? They all sold out to big business as usual. We never learn from our mistakes and just keep electing puppets just to avoid the fateful day of having to take casualties in a civil war. FUCK THAT SHIT!

Better to die standing than on your knees. America is the greatest purveyor of violence Both nations are ready need to go up ion a hail of flames.

If he hasn't already, his family should consider contacting Bay Area neurology and brain injury research centers. Universities like UCSF and UCB are always looking for people with injuries to test and do research on, which sometimes can lead to better care. The Vet Affairs Centers are often doing a lot of TBI research because of vets coming back with similar injuries and you don't have to be a veteran to participate in research.

Ironic how everyone can be so happy he's alive with out expressing any outrage over the theft of this man no longer being able to live a normal life. If I were Tristan Anderson I would be wanting to murder the cop that did this to me and I would stop at nothing to find the bastard and it just makes me want kill someone knowing that retaliation from our side is something we only get to dream about while we sleep in the night. It's no wonder you have people who suddenly snap. No one is allowed to react. No one is allowed to release. No one shows they care because they just don't have anything in side of them to show anymore. Desensitized robotic self indulgent fucked up human fucking society! Fight back? You can't be serious. What are you insane? That can only be done with words on a computer screen. Let's all sound intellectual on the internet and hold a sign and sing coombiah for the next 100 victims of police state oppression because it makes such a difference and we make such a difference by being peaceful and cooperative all the fuking time.

Showing no humanity for those who have none to give. Human beings...............not ready to fight unless it's them personally who get disfigured for life from being shot in the face. "HUMANKIND TO WHOM ARE YOU KIND"